Means for securing elastic strips in a support



May 15, 1945. s-rgcco 2,376,098

' MEANS FOR SECURING ELASTIC STRIPS IN SUPPORTS Filed April 21, 1942 INVENIOR, ETTORE srEccolvE.

. In the drawing;

1 squeegee frame and with a Patented May 15, 1945 UNITED. ST T/Es PATENT OFFICE.

. 2,376,098 i v MEANS ?FOR SECURING ELASTI'ICSSTRIPS INAi SUPPORT I i Ettore Stcccone, Oakland, Calif. Application April 21, 1942, Serial No. 439,908

Claims.

Myinvention relates to a means for securing elastic strips in a rigid supporting member-,and is particularly, adaptable by .way of example... for us'ein securing rubber'wipin'gblades' in a} squeegee frame, such. as used for window cleaning.v

. Amongthe objects ofimy invention areziTolpro- I vide a means for securing an. elastic strip 'i'na supporting, member; to provide. a means for preventing an elastic strip from sliding with'respect to an enclosing member; to provide, means securing. arubber wiper blade in a squeegeefranie, and. to provide a simple means for holding arubber strip in predeterminedrela'tion to an enclosg support. v

Other objects of myinvention will be apparent or'will be specifically pointed out in thedescription forming a Dart of this specification, butI do not limit myself to the ,embodimentfof the invention herein described, as'various. forms may be adopted within the scope of the claims,

My invention willbe described as applied to a rubber strip frictionally held' in a squeegee frame.

Fig. 1, isa diagrammatic perspective view'ofa therein showing'the first step in securing the strip to the frame.

Fig- 2 is a step. I

Fig, 3 is a similar view showing the strip as finally secured to the frame.

Fig. 4 is a perspective View .of one of the clips utilized to secure the strip to the frame.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a modified form of my invention.

In these figures the squeegee handle has been omitted for clarity of illustration. I

Referring directly to the drawing for a more detailed description of my invention as applied to asqueegee, a frame I is provided having a partially cylindrical portion 2, a front blade sup"- porting portion 3 and a longer rear blade support portion 4, terminating in a curved edge portion 5, substantially as set forth in my prior Patent No. 2,123,638. 7

A wiping rubber blade 6 is provided, having a fiat portion 8- fitting between frame portions 3 and 4, and a partially cylindrical edge bead Ill fitting the cylindrical portion 2 of the frame, 7

Under usual circumstances of squeegee use, the wiper blade is slid laterally into the frame from one end thereof until the ends of the blade and frame substantially register, and is held in place by friction only. However, during the operation of the squeegee, the lateral stresses applied by rubber strip mounted similarview showing the second the user of the squeegee on the wiper blade. as it is pressed againstw'indow'glass, have. a tendency to. cause the wiperblade to move laterally and become displaced. in f the frame. Under these conditions it is necessary for the operatorto stop and pull the wiper strip backinto the frame.

. In order to obviate this difliculty and to prevent such lateral displacement from occurring, I secure the wiper blade in the frame by use of end clips'll as shown in Fig; 4. Each. end clip has a. partially cylindrical portion l2 fitting bead H! of the wiper blade, and opposingsi'de portions l4 and I5 adapted to fit. against each side of the fiat portion 8 ofwiper blade 6. Flat clip portions l5 are provided with inwardly extending teeth ['6 for engaging the resilient material .of the wiper blade when clamped thereon;

" On. one endof the fiat portions I4 and l5 of and: I 8. The entire clip is preferably supplied in half-open position asshown in Fig,v 4 in order that the clips may conveniently be applied to the bead of the wiperblade. v

In Fig. 1 I have shown the first step in asseme bling the rubber strip in the frame utilizing the clips. The wiper blade 5 is pushed l'aterally partly into the frame, and then one clip H is' pressed around" the bead'adjacent the end of the strip with the fiat portions l5and l 4"of the clipagainst opposite sides of the flat portion 8 of the wiper blade, and with the stops I1. and I8 on the clip adjacent the end of the blade. By squeezing against the sides of the clip [2, the strip can then be pulled into the frame with the clip, entering the frame, as shown by the dotted lines 20 in Fig. 2 and with the stops l1 and I8 engaging the front and rear end surfaces 22 and 23-respectively of the frame. The application of the clip to the wiper blade prevents that end of the wiper blade from moving inwardly into the frame due to the engagement of the stops l1 and I8 with the frame.

A second clip H is then applied in a similar manner to the other end of the wiper blade, by pulling the wiper blade out of the. opposite end, thereby stretching the rubber. There will be sufficient stretch in the wiper blade'to allow the wiper blade to be pulled a sufiicient distance out slightly shorter than the frame in order that the clips may at all times have a slight force urging them together against the frame. The final result is shown in Fig. 3 where both clips are within the frame, each clip preventing one plied to a blade which is of the exact or even slightly greater length than the frame.

A modification of my invention is shown in Fig. 5, in section. The clip II in this modification is substantially the same as that shown in Fig. 4, with the exception that the end projections l1 and I8 are dispensed with, and the opposite flat portions M and I5 of the clip are provided with bumped-out projections 25. The opposed flat portions 3 and 4 of the frame are then drilled to provide opposite holes 26 therein, adjacent the end edges of the frame ll, into which the projection 20 may enter when the clip is forced inside the frame in the positions indicated by the dotted lines 20 and 2| in the former modification.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5, the clip H is placed around the end of the wiper blade as before, and then the clip is compressed and forced into the frame into the opposite holes 26 by virtue of the resiliency of the wiper blade material. The registration of the projections 25 in the holes 26 prevents further relative movement of the strip in the frame. The end result is the same and the two forms are deemed fully equivalent.

While I have described my invention as applied to a squeegee, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that my invention may be used in a similar manner in conjunction with other devices having equivalent elements.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a substantially rigid frame having a channel thereuntil projections 25 snap 1'.

aevaoes in, a resilient member having a portion entering said channel and slidable therein, and means holding said resilient member portion in said channel under tension, said means including a clip attached to each end of said member entering said channel at the ends thereof, each of said clips having projections thereon preventing inward movement thereof.

2. In a device of the character described, a substantially rigid frame including an open ended channel, a resilient member having a portion entering said channel and slidable therein, a clip attached to one end on said member and disposed at one open end of said channel, said clip having projections thereon limiting inward movement of said clip into said open end of the channel, a second clip, also having projections thereon, said second clip being disposed at the other end of said open ended channel and attached to the other end of said resilient member under tension of said resilient member.

3. Means for holding an elongated resilient member from sliding in a support channel having open ends comprising a clip engaging one end of said resilient member and having points engaging the material of said member, said clip being placed into one end of said channel, said clip having outwardly directed portions engaging the end of said channel to limit inward movement of said clip and engaged member and a second clip at the other end of said channel.

4. A squeegee comprising a substantially rigid channelmember having open ends, a resilient strip slidably receivable in said channel member, and a clip at each end of said resilient strip and attached thereto interlocking said strip with said channel at the ends of said channel only,

to preclude slidable shifting of said resilient strip in said channel member.

5. A squeegee comprising a substantially rigid channel member having exposed end edges, a resilient strip slidably receivable in said channel member, and a clip having stops and being affixed to each end of said resilient strip with said stops abutting adjacent end edges of said channel membento preclude slidable shifting of said resilient strip in said channel member.

ETIORE S'I'ECCONE. 

